Hearing Verse
by adiwriting
Summary: Blaine's been Deaf all of his life and never once has he been interested in getting to know somebody who was hearing, but Kurt's different. *A collection of one shots*
1. Hearing

Blaine's just stepping out of the bathroom and into the narrow hallway of his favorite coffee shop when he finds himself inexplicably sprawled out on the floor. He looks up to find an employee waving a mop around frantically while he apologizes. The boy is talking too fast for Blaine to read his lips, but he can make out the repeated use of the word, 'sorry.'

He gets up onto his feet and brushes off his pants, waving the boy off. It had clearly been an accident and Blaine was fine.

OK, he signs when the boy continues to apologize.

"You - feel stupid- boss- me," Blaine can barely make out what he's saying to him. He's been out of practice. He hasn't had to read anybody's lips regularly since transferring to Dalton sophomore year. Even while he father refuses to sign, his mother is always there to translate for them over holidays.

Blaine holds up his hands to stop the boy's apologizing and it's only once the boy stops waving his arms around that he realizes how attractive the boy is.

No, boy isn't really the right word for him, he's more of a man. Yes, definitely a man, Blaine thinks to himself. Nobody in high school is that hot, it defies the rules of puberty.

I'M OK. I'M FINE, he signs with a smile when the boy continues to look worried. He hopes that the message gets across. He doesn't interact with many hearing people. Usually one of his friends that are vocal will do it for him, but his friends are all the way at the back booth and he isn't going to call them over just for this.

"Oh - Deaf- Sorry," he says and Blaine is just about to write him off as another in a long line of ignorant hearing people when something surprising happens.

The man starts to sign to him.

I SORRY. I DIDN'T WATCH YOU.

Blaine chuckles for a moment while the boy looks at him confused.

SEE, he signs careful to mouth the words so he understands. YOU SIGNED WATCH. SEE.

SEE, he boy signs again, blushing slightly. SORRY.

YOU KNOW ASL? Blaine asks.

I'M TAKING ASL ONE NOW, he signs with a smile, much calmer now that he knows Blaine isn't angry at him.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME? Blaine asks, unsure where this sudden burst of socialization has come from. He's usually the first one to avoid conversations with hearing people, even ones that know ASL. He's learned his lesson long ago, the only people who will ever understand him and respect him are his friends in the Deaf Community.

But there's something about the kind look in this man's eyes that has him locked in place and willing to communicate.

K-U-R-T, he spells slowly but thankfully, accurately. YOURS?

B-L-A-I-N-E he spells while Kurt's eyes go wide and an attractive blush fills his cheeks.

SLOW PLEASE, Kurt signs sheepishly. I'M NEW, REMEMBER?

B-L-A-I-N-E he spells, careful to make sure Kurt's caught every letter.

He's not sure why it's important. He's always scoffed at Deaf people who purposefully slow down for the hearing ASL students that inevitably show up to Deaf events for whatever class project they are working on. They shouldn't have to slow down to be understood, they should be free to speak their language comfortably and by their own standards.

This feels different. Kurt feels different.

Kurt's concentrating hard on every letter and way his tongue pokes out between his teeth while he focuses is insanely hot.

"Blaine?" Kurt says and Blaine can thankfully read enough to know that he understood. "Blaine, yeah. Cool!"

MY NAME SIGN IS BLAINE, he says, making a 'B' handshape by his head and pulling it out like he would if he were to sign "dream."

BLAINE, Kurt signs with a smile. WHY?

IT'S LIKE DREAM, he explains.

DREAM? WHAT SIGN IS THAT? DREAM?

D-R-E-A-M-E-R he spells out, surprised to see that he doesn't even roll his eyes at just how new Kurt really is to signing. He's eager to teach Kurt. He wants him to understand.

YOU'RE A DREAMER? Kurt asks and if Blaine didn't know better, he would swear he was flirting with him.

MY FRIENDS THINK SO, he signs.

BLAINE, Kurt signs again, testing it out. Blaine feels his stomach swoop which is ridiculous. All Kurt's doing is saying his name, it's not like it means anything special.

I LIKE IT, Kurt signs with a wink.

Blaine is definitely a goner, now. He is falling for this man embarrassingly fast and he doesn't even know if he is gay. It doesn't matter if he is gay or not because Kurt is hearing. Blaine doesn't date hearing people, most of the Dalton boys don't.

THANK YOU, he signs sheepishly, trying hard not to make it obvious that he was blushing but he fails.

"Well I um.." Kurt blushes, clearly not knowing how to handle the situation and Blaine's just as awkward because he's not letting Kurt pass by him to continue on for some reason. He doesn't want to say goodbye.

Kurt holds up the mop he'd been carrying into the bathroom. "Work," he says.

RIGHT. WORK. NICE TO MEET YOU, he signs and moves out of the way. He should ask for Kurt's number. He should say something at least but he doesn't know how. He's never had to pick up a boy before. The only times he's ever gone on dates, he's always been the one to get asked out.

NICE TO MEET YOU, Kurt signs with a small smile that's just about the most adorable thing in the world. It's so adorable that even as Blaine makes his way back over to his table, he walks backwards the entire time, not wanting Kurt out of his sight.

WHAT? Jeff and Sebastian look at him oddly when he makes it back to the table.

NOTHING, he says, but for the rest of the time they are there, Blaine can't help but look over Sebastian's shoulder to the counter where Kurt's making coffee for customers.

Blaine's never seen Kurt here before so he must be a new hire. He's hopeful that he'll stick around unlike all the other employees that seem to rotate in and out of here every other week. He can't explain it — he's certainly never been interested in getting to know somebody who was hearing — but he's drawn to Kurt.


	2. Fumbling

Blaine's not sure how he found himself at the coffee shop thirty minutes before the guys had told him to be there. It's barely three o'clock and while he's always prompt, he's rarely early. He tells himself it has nothing to do with the cute hearing boy that fumbled his way through an ASL conversation with him last week. He's had time to think about it some more — to picture those blue eyes and those tighter-than-company-policy-allows pants — and honestly, what would he do with a hearing boyfriend? They would have nothing to talk about and at the end of the day, Blaine wants a relationship built on friendship, not sex.

If sex is all Blaine's looking for, Jeff's been trying to hook him up with his mainstreamed friend Eli for months. He doesn't have to resort to picking up the first hearing person that can manage to sign their name correctly without having to try multiple times.

Still, Blaine is thirty minutes early and he could use some caffeine without having to wait for either Jeff or Sebastian to get here. Kurt's working the counter and it would be weird for Blaine to sit here and _not_ order coffee. It wasn't like he was actively avoiding Kurt or anything. Even if the boy doesn't know nearly enough signs, he'd still know more than Katy, who can never get Blaine's order right even when he types it out on his phone for her to read. If anything, it's just common sense for Blaine to go up there and talk to him.

BLAINE, Kurt signs, looking pleasantly surprised and he can feel his heart swell at the fact that Kurt remembered his name sign. It's such a silly thing to get excited over, but he can't help it.

HEY, he signs, trying to look casual and he's sure he succeeds. He's pretty sure Cooper's acting lessons when he was younger stuck with him enough that he can master the art of subtly.

YOU WANT… Kurt pauses and looks off in the distance as if he's trying to remember something. COFFEE? C-O-F-F-E-E?

ARE YOU TEACHING ME THE SIGN FOR COFFEE? Blaine teases with a smile he hopes isn't too flirtatious because he didn't want to give off the wrong impression. Not that somebody like Kurt would ever want to date him either, he was still in high school and two months from graduation or not that still made him a baby.

Kurt blushes and the way he bites his lower lip nervously sends a warm sensation down into his belly and an entirely different feeling he's going to ignore right to his crotch.

I'M DEAF, REMEMBER? I ALREADY KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE.

Kurt waves him off, but he's laughing which is a good thing. It means that he's got a healthy sense of humor and Blaine looks for that in the people he dates.

The Deaf people he dates, he clarifies for himself, though at this point he's not sure why he's even bothering to pretend he doesn't like Kurt.

J-E-R-K, Kurt spells.

JERK, Blaine signs for him and Kurt repeats it slowly a few times before smiling.

YOU WERE ASKING IF I WANTED COFFEE, BEFORE? Blaine signs as a young couple get in line behind him and he knows that his time for conversing is over. Kurt's got to get back to work and Blaine can't hold up the line.

YES.

MEDIUM DRIP, he signs and then finger spells it when Kurt asks him to repeat himself. Blaine's impressed that he only has to spell it one time for Kurt to understand him.

YOUR SPELLING IS GETTING BETTER.

SPELLING, TERRIBLE, Kurt says while he makes an adorably disgusted face and tries to concentrate on getting Blaine's change together.

Blaine's about to ask if Kurt needs somebody to practice with when he feels somebody tap his shoulder and when he turns around the girl's boyfriend is waving him along and saying something about "moving." He doesn't need to hear it know that he's held up the line for too long.

SORRY, he signs, taking his changing and moving to the other end of the counter to wait for his coffee order.

Katy hands him his coffee order— the correct one, thank God — and Blaine can see that Kurt's got a line starting to form so he makes is way over to a table and figures he can get some reading done before his friends show up. Kurt doesn't need to be bothered by him.

The next time the guys plan to meet for coffee, Blaine accidentally shows up early. Then again the time after that. And again. Until it becomes a habit to walk through the doors and instantly look to see if Kurt's working, which he is. He always is these days.

WHERE DO YOU GO TO SCHOOL? Blaine asks as he leans against the counter and watches Kurt make his coffee order. It's a surprisingly slow day.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Kurt signs but there's a nervous smile on his face that always means he wants to sign more so Blaine just sits back and waits for him to figure out how to sign whatever it is that he wants to say.

M-O-V-I-N-G? Kurt spells and once Blaine teaches him the sign for moving, Kurt nods and gets excited like he's about to tell him some really good piece of gossip.

I MOVE-TO NEW YORK IN AUG. I GO TO N-Y-A-D-A SCHOOL. I STUDY DRAMA! He signs so excitedly that Blaine can't even lecture him for his sloppy signing because his enthusiasm is just so damn contagious.

WOW, Blaine signs, letting it sink in that Kurt's actually going to be moving to New York as well at the end of the summer. While he'd been talking himself out of asking Kurt out because he didn't want to get attached to anybody this close to graduation, he didn't have an excuse anymore.

CONGRATULATIONS, Blaine continues as Kurt hands him his coffee. I'M MOVING TO NEW YORK, TOO. I GOT ACCEPTED INTO N-Y-U.

REALLY? He signs, his face lighting up in a way that Blaine just loves. He wonders what it would be like to date Kurt, to be able to be the one to make him smile like that all of the time. I WANT SEX IN NEW YORK.

Blaine's so shocked and caught by surprised that he actually chokes on his coffee and has to hold onto the countertop while he coughs heavily. Kurt rushes around to stand beside him and pat him on the back, giving him a concerned, but completely innocent look like he hadn't just implied that he was looking for sex.

YOU OK?

YOU WANT SEX IN NEW YORK? Blaine signs again, praying that none of his friends will chose this exact moment to walk in the door. They'll never let him live it down.

YES? he signs like Blaine's somehow crazy for finding that surprising. It's not that he's never thought of Kurt as a sexual being — he's thought of him that way many, many times, whenever he can get the showers to himself — but he didn't like Kurt was the type to talk about it so openly.

I'M JUST SURPRISED YOU TOLD ME THAT. I WASN'T EXPECTING IT, Blaine explains, trying to make up for the amount of embarrassment he just caused. Kurt must think he's completely naive now. If he didn't think Blaine was a kid before, he certainly will now.

I WANT SEX IN NEW YORK? YES. WHY W-O-U-L-D I GO TO SCHOOL THERE, IF NOT LEARN HOW TO SEX?"

It's about halfway through Kurt's adorable attempt at signing a long sentence that things start to click in Blaine's mind and he realizes that they've probably had some sort of misunderstanding along the way. He starts to laugh.

SEX? He signs and waits for Kurt to nod before spelling it out. S-E-X?

WHAT? NO! Kurt signs, looking around the shop frantically and turning beet red.

YOU SIGNED S-E-X, he explains, unable to stop laughing. YOU SAID YOU WANT SEX IN NEW YORK.

NO! Kurt looks horrified and he can't help but find the entire thing adorable. W-O-R-K.

WORK, Blaine corrects him and shows him the proper way to sign it and while several weeks ago he would have been annoyed, it honestly is an easy mistake for somebody who doesn't know any better.

IT'S OK. IT'S CUTE, he signs when Kurt's face shows no sign of going back to its normal color.

CUTE NO. I TRY I-M-P-R-E-S-S YOU, Kurt signs.

Blaine understands what Kurt's spelling immediately, but he's still sure that he's misunderstood somewhere along the line. As much as Blaine's reluctant to date a hearing guy, he's sure that Kurt has no interest in dating somebody who's Deaf.

IMPRESS ME? WHY? he asks, holding his breath for the answer.

YOU'RE CUTE.

Blaine's heart stops and he's about to ask Kurt for his number when a sudden hand slaps him on the back and pulls him into a headlock. Jeff's wrestling with him and Sebastian 'helpfully' steps in to talk to Kurt since he's the only one of them who's vocal. He's asking Kurt for two more coffees, completely oblivious to what he's interrupted. It's habit for his friends, they couldn't have possibly known but Blaine still wants to murder them.

And so once Kurt's made Jeff and Sebastian's coffee, Blaine no longer has an excuse to hang around the counter. He walks away slowly, watching Kurt the entire time. He's smiling, but Blaine can see the look of disappointment on his face.

SEE YOU LATER? Blaine signs, regretfully.

I HERE ALWAYS.

Maybe next time Blaine's in, he'll finally manage to give Kurt his number. If anything, Kurt will need it so he can practice ASL with him. The last thing Blaine wants is for Kurt to make an embarrassing mistake like the work/sex one again and accidentally proposition himself to wrong person. Providing some tutoring is the friendly thing to do, right? And if their tutoring sessions turn into something more, well, Blaine might be willing to change his stance on hearing boys. After all, there's nothing wrong with a friendly hookup between a tutor and tutoree.


	3. Defying

A month after their first meeting and at least fifteen cups of coffee later, Kurt finally asks him out with an adorable note on his coffee cup written in red sharpie — _Can you teach me how to sign "crush" and "date" so that I can ask you out properly? -Kurt. _Blaine's still got the coffee cup stashed in the back of his closet where none of his friends can find it and tease him about it. He says 'yes' before he can even think about the implications of dating a hearing boy. Once he does, he simply doesn't care.

Kurt's different. He can't tell how he knows, but Blaine can tell. Besides, if he's serious about going to NYU in the fall, he needs to get used to living in the real world again. What better way to reacquaint himself with the hearing world than with an insanely hot boy with the most mesmerizing blue eyes Blaine's ever seen? Kurt's at least aware of the Deaf culture basics and he has been working extra hard on learning sign language just for Blaine. He can tell because Kurt's class is still only learning how to sign colors and Kurt's already mastered directional verbs and was asking him questions about classifiers.

Which is why Blaine is so defensive when Sebastian comes to his room on Friday night and begins arguing with him about Kurt.

YOU ALWAYS SAID YOU HATED HEARING PEOPLE. YOU SAID YOU'D NEVER DATE ONE, Sebastian signs, hands hitting each sign hard and angry.

I KNOW, OKAY? he signs, distractedly.

He doesn't want to deal with this right now. He's supposed to be focusing on his date and anxiously fretting about tonight. He should be debating the merits of kissing a boy on the first date and if the possibility of looking like he's too easy is enough to keep him from finding out if Kurt's lips are as soft as they look. He's supposed to change into a hundred different outfits until his friends finally push him out the door, assuring him that he looks great no matter what he wears. He's _not_ supposed to be fighting with them.

He just wishes they could be happy for him. Jeff has been texting him about every single, gay, Deaf boy he knows about, including one that lives in Connecticut, assuming Blaine was just lonely. Nick hasn't looked at him since he delivered the news. Sebastian of all people shouldn't have cared… yet here he was. Trying to stop him from going by yelling at him.

He can't take it. He has a date he's supposed to be getting ready for. One he's been excited about all week. Kurt had gone through the trouble of finding a theatre playing a closed caption movie a few towns over and had promised to take him out to dinner as well.

Blaine's debating if he should wear a bow tie or not. He doesn't want to look like he's trying too hard, but he wants to look cute. While he's never seen Kurt outside of the standard coffee shop polo, he can tell by his many accessories that Kurt's got a strong fashion sense. Blaine wants to impress him.

HELLO! Sebastian waves in his face angrily to get his attention. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS.

KURT'S DIFFERENT, he signs.

He doesn't know how else to explain it to Sebastian. He knows that he's pretty much sworn off all hearing people ever since transferring to Dalton. He had a horrible mainstream experience before that lead to some rather nasty comments about hearing people… He gets that his friends are confused about his sudden change of opinion, but they don't know Kurt. They don't know him past that coffee boy that Blaine's always taking to. They haven't tried to get to know him. Kurt's not just some hearing boy… he's Kurt.

WHAT WAS THAT? Sebastian signs, looking more infuriated by the moment.

WHAT? He blushes, though he knows exactly what Sebastian is referring to and he'd rather not have to explain it.

YOU GAVE HIM A NAME SIGN? Sebastian asks.

I DIDN'T GIVE HIM A NAME SIGN. I WAS JUST… I WAS THINKING MAYBE I WOULD. HIS EYES ARE REALLY STRIKING SO I FIGURED IF I DID GIVE HIM A SIGN I'D JUST SIGN EYES WITH A "K"…

NO! NO! Sebastian snaps at him, throwing his arms up in disgust. YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M DONE.

He turns to leave the room, but Blaine catches his arm before he can step out the door.

SERIOUSLY? He asks, hurt. He never thought his friends would be thrilled about this, but he didn't think he would lose them over this. It has nothing to do with them. Aren't they supposed to support him and love him no matter what? Isn't that what friends are for?

NO. YOU GO ON YOUR DATE. GO HANG OUT WITH ALL THE DUMB HEARING SEALS AND TELL ME HOW IT WORKS OUT FOR YOU.

He can't really blame Sebastian for his rant because he's sure he's said far worse himself, but he still thinks he's being a bit ridiculous.

YOU'RE BEING DRAMATIC, he signs.

I'M BEING DRAMATIC? Sebastian signs with a bitter laugh. YOU SAID YOU'D NEVER DATE A HEARING BOY AND HERE YOU ARE. YOU'RE GETTING ALL DRESSED UP FOR HIM, TRYING TO MAKE YOURSELF ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT LIKE HE'S SOMEHOW DESERVING OF IT. LIKE YOU AREN'T PERFECT ALREADY. LIKE YOU HAVE TO CHANGE FOR HIM OR SOMETHING—

I'M NOT TRYING TO CHANGE— Blaine tries to interrupt, but he's on a rant that can't be stopped.

IT'S DISGUSTING! IT'S PATHETIC. DON'T YOU HAVE ANY DEAF PRIDE?

I HAVE A LOT OF DEAF PRIDE, Blaine finally snaps.

It's very rare that he loses his temper, but he can't sit there and listen to Sebastian act like he's mightier than him. Blaine's not the one that vocalizes and talks to hearing people all the time. He's not the one that had his father call the school and try to force all the students to take speech therapy to better prepare them for the "real world." If anybody's been dismissive about Deaf culture, it's Sebastian, not him. Not over Kurt.

THEN PROVE IT. DON'T THROW YOURSELF AT THIS HEARING TOOL THAT CAN BARELY EVEN SIGN, Sebastian signs.

SAYS THE BOY THAT VOCALIZES TO HEARING PEOPLE ALL THE TIME. THE BOY THAT _LOVES_ TO TALK TO HEARING PEOPLE, he counters, crossing his arms and daring Sebastian to challenge him.

I DON'T SLEEP WITH THEM. I HAVE STANDARDS, Sebastian signs, storming off.

Blaine tries to wave him back, even going as far as to flash the hallway lights so he can in no way claim ignorance, but Sebastian just keeps on walking.

WHAT DID YOU THINK WOULD HAPPEN? Nick comes and speaks to him for the first time that week when Blaine won't stop flashing the lights, hoping in vain that Sebastian will come back and at least try and resolve things. He doesn't want to go on his date with this big, black cloud looming over his head.

NOT THIS, Blaine admits, slumping against the wall in defeat.

YOU'RE TURNING YOUR BACK ON YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR CULTURE, ALL FOR WHAT? A BOY? IS HE REALLY WORTH IT? Nick asks.

MAYBE? HOW DO I KNOW, IF I DON'T GO OUT WITH HIM AT LEAST ONCE? he asks.

HE'S HEARING, Nick says, slumping against the wall with him.

I KNOW.

HE'S NOT A GREAT SIGNER, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME COMMUNICATING, Nick says, though he's started to look resigned to the fact that this was happening and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

I KNOW, he repeats himself with a small smile. Anything his friends have to say, he's already considered it and he still thinks it's worth it. Kurt's worth it.

YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED WHEN TRENT TRIED TO DATE SOMEBODY WHO WAS HEARING? Nick says with a sympathetic smile.

I REMEMBER, BUT KURT'S DIFFERENT, Blaine says, almost 100% sure that it's the truth.

JUST BE CAREFUL.

Blaine's phone vibrates in his pocket and he already knows that it's Kurt telling him that he's arrived. He hasn't picked out a bow tie and he doesn't feel completely comfortable leaving without resolving things with Sebastian, but he can't do anything about any of that now. He straightens up and smooths out his shirt.

HOW DO I LOOK? Blaine asks, nervously.

HANDSOME, he says, though Blaine can tell he's not thrilled he hadn't been able to change his mind.

He can only hope that this date goes amazingly so that he can come home and tell everyone that they were wrong and they'd worried for no reason. If not — if this date turns out to be a disaster — he would have fought with his friends for no reason.


	4. Confessing

HEY, YOU LOOK CUTE, Kurt welcomes him with a kiss as Blaine steps into the Hummel house.

Blaine's dressed in his best outfit and ready to get this night over with. He'd promised Kurt that he would accompany him to a party tonight and had picked up the phone no less than sixteen times today to try and cancel on him. In the end, his manners won out and he hadn't been able to do it. No matter how miserable he might be tonight surrounded by a bunch of hearing people, he would survive. He would have to survive for Kurt's sake. He just wasn't sure Kurt was prepared for how annoying it was going to be to have to play interpreter for him all night long. He was sure that Kurt would grow tired of it and wander off and Blaine would be stuck holding up the wall for the rest of the night while everyone around him had fun, unaware of the hell he would be going through.

YOU GOT HEARING AIDS? Kurt asks, leaning in closer to inspect them.

I'VE HAD THEM FOR A LONG TIME, he brushes off the question, not wanting to make a big deal about them.

He hates them to begin with. It's a physical representation of all the ways Blaine will never belong in the hearing world like everybody thinks he should. It is the world's way of reminding him that he is wrong in their eyes. Blaine never realized how much he hated that until he went to Dalton and learned that there is a whole group of people out there who embrace him for all the wonderful things he _can_ do rather than look down on him for the one thing he can't.

I'VE NEVER SEEN THEM BEFORE. Kurt's incredulous and he rolls his eyes.

He doesn't understand why Kurt's turning this into a big thing. Blaine doesn't want to talk about it. He already feels anxious enough about going to his first hearing party with all of Kurt's friends, he doesn't want to feel like his own boyfriend is staring at his ears the entire time, too.

I DON'T USUALLY NEED TO WEAR THEM, EVERYONE AT DALTON'S DEAF, he explains, hoping that is enough for Kurt to let it be, but of course it's not.

OK, Kurt signs, but it's clear that he wants to say more.

OK, Blaine replies, stepping around him and walking into the kitchen to wait for Kurt's brother to finish getting ready, happily walking away from the conversation. Of course, they have known each other long enough by now that Blaine should have known that isn't the last he's going to hear of it.

Kurt follows him into the kitchen and sets about pouring them some lemonade, but all the while his eyes keep drifting back over to Blaine like he's trying to figure out a complicated riddle.

LEAVE IT, he signs, just as Kurt's raising his hands to ask him something.

BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND, Kurt signs, setting down the glasses before joining him at the kitchen table.

Blaine raises the glass to his mouth and takes a long sip, trying to avoid looking at Kurt. However, when he finally sets down the glass and he can feel Kurt's eyes still on him, he knows that he's not going to get out of this.

IT'S PROTECTION, he signs simply, not elaborating any further.

PROTECTION? Kurt asks.

He rolls his eyes and starts to spell it for him, P-R-O-T-E—

Kurt waves him off. I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SIGNING. WHY DO YOU NEED PROTECTION?

Why does Blaine need protection? It's a question he's been asking himself since he was little and first understood that when he saw the other kids smiling in his direction it didn't mean that they were happy to see him — it meant they were laughing at him. The world thought he was broken because he was Deaf. They thought he was a freak because he liked to play the piano and violin even though he couldn't hear the music he was making, they never understood that he could _feel _it. They mocked him when he joined his first dance class... But that was nothing compared to what they said when he came out as gay _on top_ of being Deaf.

Why does he need protection? He's not sure he can explain it to Kurt. How something that he hates with every fiber of his being also gives him a sense of security in an unfamiliar setting. His hearing aids are a crutch he shouldn't have to need, but desperately does.

I CAN HEAR A LITTLE BIT WHEN I WEAR THEM, he explains. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M HEARING OR DISTINGUISH SOUNDS, BUT IF SOMETHING IS LOUD OR LOW PITCHED ENOUGH, I CAN HEAR IT. IT'S NO BIG DEAL.

BUT YOU NEVER WEAR THEM, WHY NOW? Kurt continues to press.

KURT, STOP. PLEASE, he signs, begging him to drop it already.

BLAINE.

WHAT? he snaps.

I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND, Kurt signs and he's so overwhelmed right now he can't even correct the fact that Kurt's still signing the word 'just' wrong no matter how many times he's taught him the correct way to sign it.

I DON'T WANT YOU WEARING THEM BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU HAVE TO AROUND ME, Kurt continues. I'M HAPPY SIGNING. I DON'T WANT YOU TO CHANGE FOR ME. I LIKE YOU HOW YOU ARE.

It's one of the longest sentences that Kurt's ever managed to sign spontaneously and the grammar is still a too "English" to be perfect ASL but it's so _close_ and Kurt just looks so damn sincere when he's signing it that Blaine can't be mad at him for pushing this. He's got a beautiful boyfriend who cares enough about him to have learned a good year's worth of skills in a matter of months simply so they can communicate better. He knows that Kurt just wants to understand him better and Blaine can't be angry about that. He _wants_ Kurt to understand him better. He wants Kurt to know everything about him because he's pretty sure what they are building could be a forever kind of thing.

He lets out a deep sigh and tries to let down some of his guard. Kurt deserves to hear his story. If anything, he'll be able to help Blaine tonight if this party leads to some sort of emotional breakdown.

THEY AREN'T FOR YOU, he explains, pointing to his hearing aids.

THEN WHY? Kurt asks, nudging his foot out until their ankles are rubbing against each other. It's their way of holding hands since Kurt hasn't quite mastered the art of singing one-handed and he can't understand what Blaine's saying when he does it. This way they can be connected without compromising their communication. It's the slightest of touches, but it makes the pressure on his chest feel a little bit lighter.

IT'S FOR YOUR FRIENDS, he explains.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE FOR MY FRIENDS. THEY'LL LIKE YOU, ANYWAY.

HOW? He asks. THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO TALK TO ME.

BUT WITH HEARING AIDS ON, THEY SUDDENLY WILL? Kurt asks, looking at him like he's lost his mind.

NO, he signs, feeling his face heat up in embarrassment.

OKAY? Kurt signs, looking completely lost.

BEFORE I TRANSFERRED TO DALTON, I WAS MAINSTREAMED, Blaine signs, taking special care to go slow. This is going to be a long story and he isn't entirely sure Kurt has enough vocabulary to understand everything he's going to have to say. He needs to go slow so Kurt has time to process everything, he doesn't want to have to sign this ever again.

I KNOW, Kurt signs, waving him on to continue.

THE HEARING KIDS AT SCHOOL ALWAYS LAUGHED AT ME — he starts.

MY FRIENDS WON'T LAUGH AT YOU, Kurt cuts him off, like that was his only concern. As if Blaine hasn't grown some tougher skin over the years and figured out how to get past a few strange looks and playground teasing.

I JUST… LET ME FINISH, OKAY?

OKAY, SORRY. CONTINUE, Kurt signs, folding his hands and placing them on the table — effectively "zipping his mouth and throwing away the key" — letting Blaine know he wouldn't interrupt.

MY DAD WAS ADAMANT THAT I WAS TO BE VOCAL, he starts to explain. I NEVER HAD AN INTERPRETER AT SCHOOL. MY TEACHERS DIDN'T KNOW SIGN.

Blaine pauses just long enough to see the look of outrage on Kurt's face to know that he's following along.

I HAD TO VOCALIZE IN CLASS AND MY VOICE… IT'S REALLY UNCLEAR. IT'S NOT GOOD, he signs with a blush.

He hasn't spoken since freshman year and he's not sure if Kurt even knew he could speak. He wonders if now that he knows, if he'll ask him to start talking more. He hopes not. Blaine hates it. He knows he produces most of the sounds wrong and he's barely comprehendible when he speaks, even to his parents who've had years of practice trying to understand him. Blaine doesn't make a habit of failing at things, he works hard and always masters whatever skill he sets out to learn — but he's never been good at vocalizing and he hates how embarrassed that makes him feel. He shouldn't have to feel shame over being unable to speak a language that isn't meant for him.

ONE TIME, I WAS HAVING A TERRIBLE DAY AND ALL THE OTHER KIDS WERE LAUGHING AT HOW I SPOKE. I WAS ANGRY AND UPSET, SO I TOOK MY HEARING AIDS OUT, he explains.

NOT THAT I COULD REALLY HEAR THEM, BUT I'D CATCH PIECES OF IT SOMETIMES IF SOMEBODY WAS REALLY LOUD OR HAD A LOW ENOUGH VOICE. he clarifies, because he doesn't want Kurt to get the impression that wearing the hearing aids somehow magically gives him the power to hear. It doesn't, he is profoundly deaf in both ears and nothing is going to change that.

I REFUSED TO WEAR MY HEARING AIDS THE REST OF THE DAY. ON MY WAY HOME, SOME KIDS CAME UP FROM BEHIND ME AND STARTED BEATING ME UP. I ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL, he signs, ignoring how his hands have started to shake with rage at the memory.

ARE YOU OKAY? Kurt asks, his face is a mixture of fury and heartache.

IT'S FINE, he waves off his concern, not wanting to make a big deal out of something that happened almost four years ago.

IT'S NOT FINE, Kurt signs harshly and Blaine can tell he's even yelled it.

NO, IT WASN'T. BUT IT IS NOW, he clarifies, reaching out a hand to calm Kurt down from where he's sitting on the edge of his seat looking like he's about to go off on the next person to walk into the room. He rubs his thigh and sends him a comforting smile. It's a horrible memory and he understands Kurt's anger better than anyone, but seeing how upset Kurt's gotten on his behalf helps remind him that his life is so much better now. Everything bad that's happened to him is in the past.

I GO TO A DEAF SCHOOL NOW. I HAVE PLENTY OF FRIENDS AND… I HAVE YOU.

Kurt smiles at that and Blaine can't help but lean over and give him a kiss, overcome with so many conflicting emotions, but one stands out above all the rest — love. He's so in love with the boy sitting in front of him that he can barely see straight some days.

I KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BE LAUGHED AT FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN'T CONTROL, Kurt signs sadly. I'VE BEEN HURT BY KIDS BEFORE, TOO. I'M SORRY THEY HURT YOU. IF I HAD KNOWN YOU BEFORE, I WOULD HAVE TRIED TO HELP YOU.

YOU HELP ME NOW, he signs before standing up and moving to leave. Finn's come down the stairs and he's standing awkwardly by the door, clearly ready to head out.

Kurt grabs onto his sleeve and pulls him back to around to look at him.

I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND, Kurt signs.

UNDERSTAND WHAT? he asks, looking back towards the front door where Finn's waving them to come along.

"Finn, go ahead. We'll — there. — late?" Kurt says to his brother and Blaine misses some of it, but the more he's around Kurt and other hearing people, the more his old lip reading skills have started to come back again. Finn rolls his eyes, but he's soon out the door and it's back to being just the two of them again.

YOU HATE BEING LATE, he reminds him, gesturing towards the door. They've still got time to catch Finn before he leaves if they hurry.

I WANT TO FINISH TALKING. MY FRIENDS CAN WAIT, Kurt signs. YOU DIDN'T EXPLAIN WHY ARE YOU WEARING THE HEARING AIDS TODAY?

He sits back down in his seat and figures that he's already told Kurt about the most pathetic, traumatizing day of his life, he might as well admit to this, too.

SOMETIMES I WONDER, IF I HADN'T TAKEN THEM OUT… MAYBE I WOULD HAVE HEARD THOSE KIDS COMING. MAYBE I COULD HAVE RUN AWAY OR SOMETHING, he signs.

BLAINE… Kurt's eyes are filled with tears and he reaches out for him, unsure what else to say to make it better.

IT'S DUMB, I KNOW, he signs.

IT'S NOT DUMB, Kurt signs, moving his chair over so that they are touching each other. Their legs are flesh against each other and Blaine wants to wrap himself around Kurt and never let go, but he knows they need to finish their conversation.

I HATE THAT SOMEBODY HURT YOU LIKE THAT, Kurt signs.

IT'S FINE. MOST DAYS, I DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. IT'S SUCH A DISTANT MEMORY NOW, he explains, hating that Kurt looks so sad now that he knows Blaine's story.

BUT? Kurt asks, gesturing that he should continue.

BUT WHEN I'M AROUND HEARING PEOPLE AND NOBODY AROUND ME IS DEAF, I FEEL NERVOUS. WEARING A HEARING AID, IT HELPS ME FEEL SAFE. I HATE WEARING IT, BUT I FEEL SCARED WITHOUT IT, he explains.

YOU'RE AROUND HEARING PEOPLE AND HAVEN'T WORN IT BEFORE, Kurt signs.

NO, I'M NOT, he says.

YOU'RE WITH ME ALONE AND NEVER WEAR ONE. BEFORE WE STARTED DATING, YOU CAME INTO THE COFFEE SHOP ALL THE TIME AND NEVER HAD IT ON.

MY FRIENDS WERE AT THE COFFEE SHOP, THEY SIGN, he explains.

AND WITH ME? Kurt asks.

YOU'RE NOT HEARING, SILLY, he waves him off. Blaine's never really thought of Kurt in the same way as he does every other hearing person. If he had, they never would have started dating. Kurt's always been different. From the moment he knocked him over outside of that bathroom and started signing when he realized Blaine was deaf, Blaine knew Kurt was different.

OH REALLY? WHAT AM I THEN? Kurt teases him.

YOU'RE MY BOYFRIEND, WHO I LOVE, he replies, not even processing the enormity of what he's just signed.

Kurt looks shocked for a moment, but quickly recovers and leans in to kiss him. Kurt's arms quickly wrap around his shoulders and pull him in closer until Blaine's practically in his lap. Not that he's complaining. He's all too happy to return Kurt's kisses with equal passion. He's always loved the way that Kurt's lips taste and now they've got just the slightest hint of a sour taste, thanks to the homemade lemonade from before.

Blaine can feel Kurt's chest vibrate with a moan and the two pull away before they can get too carried away. They are sitting in the kitchen where anybody could walk in, after all.

WE DON'T HAVE TO GO, Kurt signs, still breathing heavy from their kisses. It sends a thrill through him to know that he can affect Kurt so much with just the taste of his lips. He can only imagine how wonderful it would be to do more… when they're both ready, of course.

NO? he teases him. YOU FEELING LIKE DITCHING YOUR FRIENDS TO MAKE OUT ON YOUR COUCH?

Kurt blushes a deep scarlet color and bites his kiss swollen lip.

I MEAN, IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE MEETING MY FRIENDS. WE CAN STAY HERE. IT'S FINE.

NO, he signs, though it's a tempting offer. He certainly won't be able to continue making out with Kurt if they go to that party.

YOU'RE SURE? Kurt asks.

WE'RE GOING. YOU WANTED ME TO MEET YOUR FRIENDS AND I WANT TO GO, he signs.

REALLY? Kurt asks, looking like he doesn't believe Blaine, but he can tell how much it means to Kurt that Blaine wants to meet his friends so he can't exactly say no.

I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS, BUT I WANT TO MEET THEM. WE'VE BEEN GOING OUT FOR THREE MONTHS, I SHOULD KNOW WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE, he signs.

OKAY. THEN WE SHOULD GO. WE'RE LATE, Kurt signs.

YEAH, he agrees, standing up and taking Kurt's hand as they both head out the door and towards Kurt's car.

HEY BLAINE? Kurt signs to him from across the hood of his car.

WHAT?

DID YOU SAY YOU LOVED ME? Kurt asks with a blush.

YOU SAW THAT, HUH? He hadn't meant to sign it, it had just come out. When he's thought about saying it to Kurt before, he'd imagined more romance, but it's out there now and Blaine can only hope that Kurt says it back. He's not sure he's going to be able to handle it if Kurt doesn't feel the same way or needs more time to think about it.

IT'S A HARD THING NOT TO SEE.

Blaine can't help but blush.

WHEN WE COME BACK HOME, I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU, TOO, Kurt signs and Blaine's heart explodes into a million pieces.

Kurt loves him, too.


	5. Integrating

Blaine instinctively moves closer to Kurt as they step into his friend Mercedes' house. The music is blaring loud enough that he can feel the vibrations through the floor. Usually this would be his signal to clear out some space for he and his friends to dance the night away, but he's hesitant to do much of anything until he knows these people more. As accepting as Kurt and his family have been, that doesn't mean that his friends are going to automatically like him as well. He's not a stranger to parties and he's usually a pretty social guy, but there's always going to be something about walking into a hearing party versus walking into a Deaf party.

OK? Kurt signs, concerned, stopping in the entryway where there are thankfully no people.

I'M FINE, he signs, not sure who he's trying to convince more — Kurt or himself.

I LOVE YOU, Kurt signs.

I'M SORRY, AGAIN, PLEASE? he teases, pretty sure that he's never going to tire of seeing Kurt sign that to him.

I LOVE YOU, Kurt repeats himself with a goofy smile on his face that Blaine's come to learn only comes out when he's deliriously happy.

WHAT? he asks, wondering just how many times he can get Kurt to say it before he gets annoyed.

Kurt laughs and grabs him by the suspenders, pulling him in closer to give him a kiss.

I LOVE YOU, Kurt signs, then proceeds to trace the lines of his suspenders up and down, sending a delicious chill through his body on an otherwise hot, summer night.

SAME, he signs and doesn't protest when Kurt grabs him by the back of the neck and pulls him in for another kiss. If Blaine had his way, they would never have to stop kissing, _ever_, but Kurt is always talking about a need for other things like food, sleep and work — ridiculous in his opinion.

READY? Kurt asks, pulling away just enough that they can comfortably talk.

I GUESS, he says, taking a deep, calming breath. He can get through this night. So long as Kurt is by his side, realistically he knows nothing bad will actually happen to him. Of course, his racing heart hasn't seemed to catch onto that message.

Kurt loops his arm around Blaine's waist and leads him around the corner, where they immediately are met with a horde of other party guests. There's a table lined with red Solo cups and wide assortment of liquor bottles. Three boys are standing around it playing Flip-Cup as a small crowd cheers them on. Blaine can hear murmuring of sounds, but can't tell if it's coming from the crowd or the stereo system in the corner. The hearing aids are starting to give him a headache, but he's not comfortable enough to take them out, even if they aren't likely to do any good in such a sound-heavy environment.

A blur of brown hair catches him in the face as Kurt is pulled away from him and into the arms of what he can only assume is one of Kurt's friends. They quickly part and Blaine tries to catch what the girl is saying to him but her lips are moving too fast and he can't understand what she's talking to him about. Kurt keeps trying to interject, but the girl blazes on with fierce determination.

MY FRIEND, R-A-C-H-E-L, Kurt signs for him, which seems to catch her attention, finally.

"Is this Blaine?" she asks Kurt instead of talking directly to him and he has to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He's heard about Rachel before from Kurt, but this was not what he was picturing when Kurt said that he was planning on living with one of his best friends when the two of them moved to New York next month.

Kurt nods, eyeing her warily and Blaine wonders if all of Kurt's friends are as crazy as Rachel appears to be.

HEY, he signs awkwardly, unsure how to approach a conversation with her but knowing he has to try. They will be seeing a lot of each other starting next month. He would usually just try and read her lips, but she doesn't actually seem all the interested in talking to him. She immediately turns back to Kurt as if he wasn't even there.

"— cute," she says, and if he strains himself, he can sort of make out the words that her lips are forming. "Does he read lips?"

"Stop," Kurt says to her, signing it too for his benefit and Blaine's thankful that at least he won't have to try and read Kurt's lips as well. He'd been worried that Kurt would forget to sign once he got around his hearing friends. "Nice to meet you, Blaine," Kurt says slowly, showing Rachel how to sign it. They go over it a few times before she finally turns to him with a sheepish look.

NICE TO MEET YOU, BLAINE, she signs.

NICE TO MEET YOU, TOO.

"So do you talk?" she asks looking him up and down like a science experiment and Blaine's about to snap back that he talks perfectly fine with his hands but Kurt yanks her away before he can say anything.

"Goodbye, Rachel," he says, pushing her away from them, pointing to the other side of the room with a harsh glare. The two of them stare at each other in a silent argument for a few moments before Rachel finally throws her arms up and walks away. When Kurt turns to look at him, he is blushing and looks mortified.

SO THAT'S R-A-C-H-E-L? he asks, not impressed, especially knowing that Kurt's going to be living with her for the next year.

I'M SORRY. SHE'S DRUNK, he signs. SHE'S NOT USUALLY SO… OKAY, MAYBE SHE IS. GIVE HER ANOTHER TRY WHEN SHE'S SOBER.

IT'S FINE, he responds, even though it's really not. He wishes that his friends were here with him. If they were here, they'd be making a silly joke right about now to lighten the mood, helping cover up years of pain experienced from stupid question after stupid question. There's almost nothing more annoying than a hearing person that seemingly means well while asking the most offensive, ignorant questions.

DO YOU WANT A DRINK? Kurt asks.

YES, PLEASE, he signs with more enthusiasm than is probably polite, but Kurt doesn't complain. He grabs Blaine's hand and leads them through the heavy sea of people until they have both made their way through the living room and into the less occupied kitchen.

"Kurt!" a big, black girl says, standing up with a huge smile on her face. She pulls him into a hug and Blaine stands off to the side, praying she doesn't notice him and start asking him stupid questions, too.

M-E-R-C-E-D-E-S, THIS IS BLAINE, Kurt signs, pulling him back over and he bites down his annoyance. He knows that Kurt just wants him to like his friends. Blaine should _want_ to know Kurt's friends.

Before Blaine really understands what's going on, Mercedes is pulling him in for a hug as well.

NICE TO MEET YOU, Mercedes signs to him with a big smile.

YOU KNOW ASL? Blaine asks, looking at her in surprise. He'd known that one of his friends, Tina, was in Kurt's ASL class this past spring, but Kurt hadn't said anything about anyone else knowing ASL.

"I don't sign, sorry," she says, and he's happy to see that he can read her lips much easier than he could Rachel's. She's not moving around as much, which always makes it easier to understand.

I TOLD M-E-R-C-E-D-E-S I WAS BRINGING YOU, Kurt explains to him. SHE ASKED ME HOW TO SIGN A FEW THINGS.

OH, he signs. THAT WAS NICE.

"Can I get you — — drinks?" Mercedes asks.

"White wine, please," Kurt says. "And not the cheap stuff you're giving everyone else."

Blaine smiles at Kurt, he hadn't realized how good Kurt was getting at talking and signing at the same time. It's not often that Kurt has to do both together and Blaine knows it's not easy. It makes Kurt's signs become more English rather than ASL, but it's not a big deal. Blaine's just happy to see him signing.

Kurt sits down at one of the kitchen chairs and pulls Blaine down to share his seat. It's a tight squeeze, but he doesn't mind the way Kurt's pressed up against him from their hips all the way down to their ankles. It sends a warm thrill through his body and the familiar bubbling of desire starts in his stomach. He wonders how long they have to stay at the party before it would be considered rude to leave. He has a mental image of Kurt straddling him in the back seat of his car that he'd really like to see come to fruition.

"Blaine?" Mercedes asks, pulling him out of his thoughts and back into reality — a loud, overbearing reality filled with a lot of people he doesn't know and has no good way of communicating with.

ANYTHING'S FINE, he signs before Kurt smacks him playfully in the arm.

WHAT DO YOU WANT? Kurt asks him again. BEER? WINE? LIQUOR? SODA? WATER?

BEER? he asks and Kurt translates for him. Mercedes opens her fridge and pulls out two bottles. The good stuff, Blaine notes as she hands them their drinks, not the cheap stuff that's lining the table in the living room.

"Did you — — get —?" she asks, and Blaine busies himself by studying the label of the fancy beer bottle, letting Kurt take lead in the conversation. He figures, he'll just wait to talk until he's directly addressed, he doesn't want to intrude.

"Yeah, but not before we ran into Rachel," he says and Blaine watches his signs out of the corner of his eye.

Mercedes hands go up and she shakes her head, but Blaine doesn't catch exactly what she says.

"Oh, I will," Kurt responds with a roll of his eyes, and Blaine tries not to show how confused he feels. "I'm going to have to keep Blaine away from her all night."

"What did she do?" Mercedes asks and Blaine figures that if Mercedes's lips aren't so hard to read, he should at least try. He's sure he'll appreciate the practice once he gets to NYU and his circle of Deaf friends dwindles to only Sebastian.

"Nothing, it's just Rachel," he says.

"She's your best friend," Mercedes reminds Kurt.

"I know, doesn't mean she can't annoy me sometimes. Especially when she's drunk…"

Something causes both of them to turn their heads towards the living room with a wince and Mercedes quickly excuses herself to go check on something.

HEARD GLASS BREAK, Kurt signs as a way of explanation and he nods, looking over to see if he can tell what's been broken, but he can't.

DO YOU WANT TO DANCE? Kurt asks.

I DON'T KNOW, he shrugs.

Usually he'd be the first person to suggest turning on some music and dancing, but he's still feeling a bit uncomfortable and he doesn't really want to go back out into the swarms of people. There's barely enough room to walk and if they go back out there, it's going to be difficult to sign to one another with so little room.

COME ON. Kurt stands up and pulls him to his feet.

SO BOSSY TODAY, he signs, earning himself a pinch to the side.

VIOLENT, TOO, he teases, but follows Kurt willingly as he pulls him out into the living room where they walk past Mercedes yelling at Finn, holding a broken lamp.

They make their way over to part of the room that, thankfully, seems to have a few less people and there's enough space for them to move around a bit, though he'll hardly be able to swing dance with Kurt or bust out any of his recently acquired break-dancing skills. Kurt's just about to wrap his arms around Blaine's shoulders when a muscular boy with a mohawk pulls Kurt into a noogie.

Kurt shoves him off, though he doesn't look terribly put out, which saves Blaine from having to kick the boy's ass for touching his boyfriend. It seems that Kurt knows the guy.

"So this is the boy that's tapping — that — ass?" the guy says, causing Kurt's hand to reach out and quickly squeeze his tight in what Blaine can only assume is supposed to be an apology.

"Puck, this is Blaine, my boyfriend," Kurt says to his friend.

"Oh, right — heard he was deaf," Puck says, looking Blaine up and down, judging him. He tries not to fidget under the scrutiny, he knows guys like this feed on insecurity, but it's hard not to feel uncomfortable as somebody looks at you like they are some riddle to be solved.

"Can —" whatever Puck has said gets lost as he clearly begins to yell and speak slowly like Blaine is just stupid and if he talks slow enough, suddenly he'll magically have his hearing.

"No, but he can read your lips," Kurt says and his signs are hitting hard enough that he can tell Kurt's just as offended as he is.

"My — —" Puck says to him, but Blaine still can't understand him when he's talking so slow.

"He can't read your lips if you talk like an idiot," Kurt says with a heavy roll of his eyes. "Just speak normally, he'll understand you. And if he doesn't, I can interpret. Just don't be an ass."

"Okay, cool," Puck says normally this time and Blaine can thankfully understand him. "You know, I know some sign language."

"Really?" Kurt answers, looking doubtful.

"Yeah, look," and Puck proceeds to flick them both off, laughing at himself like it's the most hilarious joke in the world. Blaine rolls his eyes, like he hasn't heard that one before.

I'M GOING TO GET A DRINK, he signs, walking away before he can say something rude. Regardless of how offensive Kurt's friend has already been to him, he's not going to sink to his level. He's going to survive this night and afterwards he can go back home and bitch about this to all of his friends who will understand.

He grabs the first bottle of liquor that he sees with so much force that he accidentally elbows the poor Asian girl next to him who's trying to poor her own drink.

SORRY, he signs, looking her up and down for any signs of serious injury. When she looks up, she's glaring at him.

I'M SO SORRY, he signs, hoping that his face is sincere enough to convey his apology.

HEY, she signs, catching him by surprise. YOU K-U-R-T GIRLFRIEND!

BOYFRIEND? he clarifies, amused.

BOYFRIEND, SORRY. YES. ME NO SIGNING SINCE MAY, she signs with a blush.

I'M B-L-A-I-N-E, he signs slowly, remembering how hard it was for Kurt to understand the first time they met and the girl did just say she was out of practice.

T-I-N-A, she says and Blaine smiles.

YOU WERE IN KURT'S ASL CLASS, he says, remembering hearing stories about the girl. She was the reason that Kurt had taken up sign language in the first place. He'd needed a language credit and she had convinced him to enroll in ASL with her instead of taking an easy A with French 101. Blaine owed the girl big for that one.

NICE TO MEET YOU, she signs.

NICE TO MEET YOU. He smiles his first genuine smile since walking through the door.

Kurt pushes his way through the crowd and steals Blaine attention away from Tina, eyes blazing like he's just gotten into a fight.

HEY, I'M SORRY, Kurt signs, instantly turning apologetic. HE'S A GOOD PERSON ON THE INSIDE.

SURE, he signs with a roll of his eyes. He doesn't really want to think about Puck anymore. Not when he's finally found a friend of Kurt's that he can actually have some semblance of a conversation with.

REALLY, MY FRIENDS… THEY ARE CRAZY, BUT THEY ARE GOOD PEOPLE IF YOU GIVE THEM A CHANCE, Kurt tries to explain and Blaine knows he should listen to him, but he just can't get over years of built up hostility towards people like Puck.

IT'S FINE. He doesn't want to get into it right now.

THEY AREN'T TRYING TO BE MEAN.

THEY DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER, I GET IT, he signs with a fake smile.

He honestly hates that excuse. Ignorance isn't excusable for ableist behavior. When people act like that over skin color, people are up in arms and quick to call others racist. Why is it so different when people insult _his_ culture? When people act like he doesn't _have_ a culture, like he's somehow been made wrong? He's not some special needs boy with a "hearing impairment" or whatever offensive term is being touted as politically correct these days, he's Deaf with a capital D. He's proud of it. He's not disabled no matter what people try to say and he's certainly not stupid.

THEY ARE PROTECTIVE OVER ME, THEY ACT LIKE THIS NO MATTER WHO I'M DATING, Kurt signs.

THEY ACT LIKE ASSHOLES? he asks, unable to hold back his annoyance. He doesn't even acknowledge the fact that Kurt just said his friends do this to all of his boyfriends. Implying he's had several. He doesn't want to add jealously and the mental image of Kurt with other boys to his already growing list of reasons why this party is a disaster.

I KNOW P-U-C-K WAS OFFENSIVE. I ALREADY YELLED AT HIM. BUT HE'S OFFENSIVE ABOUT EVERYTHING, NOT JUST BEING DEAF. I PROMISE, HE MEANS WELL, Kurt explains.

OKAY, he signs, just wanting the conversation to be over.

OKAY? Kurt asks, looking like he didn't believe him.

I WAS JUST TALKING TO T-I-N-A, he signs, changing the topic before Kurt can try to continue their conversation.

HEY, Kurt signs to her, seemingly just realizing she was there.

WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT YOUR ASL CLASS, Blaine signs, helping to move the conversation along.

HE HELPED YOU CHEAT ON YOUR STORY, Tina signs to Kurt with a satisfied smirk.

I DIDN'T CHEAT ON MY CHILDREN'S STORY, Kurt signs back, indignant. I USED CLASSIFIERS.

YES. CHEAT, Tina signs playfully, glaring at the two of them.

I SAW KURT'S CHILDREN'S STORY, IT WAS CONCEPTUALLY ACCURATE, he signs in Kurt's defense.

YOU HELPED HIM! Tina laughs and Kurt rolls his eyes like it's an old argument they've had before.

I'M GOING TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. YOU'RE OKAY WITH T-I-N-A? Kurt asks.

I'M FINE, he signs, surprising himself with how truthful it is. Tina is not as advanced as Kurt and her palm orientation can use some work, but he can hold a conversation with her and that's more than he'd expected from any of Kurt's hearing friends. Plus, there is the added bonus that she hasn't treated him as anything special or different, which he appreciates.

HE GOT AN A, NOT FAIR, she signs after Kurt's gone.

HEY, HE TRANSLATED MOST OF IT HIMSELF, he signs, throwing his hands up in surrender.

ME, TOO IF MY TUTOR WAS DEAF.

DO YOU WANT ME TO TUTOR YOU? he asks, amused.

NO, she signs. IT'S FINE. I GOT AN A, TOO. KURT TUTORED ME.

HE DID? Blaine asks, surprised that Kurt never told him that.

HE'S A GOOD TEACHER, Tina explains with a smile. HE WORKS HARD TO SIGN GOOD. HE REALLY LIKES YOU.

I REALLY LIKE HIM, he signs back, happily.

HE WOULD BE MAD IF I SAY BUT… HE WANTED TO DATE YOU FROM THE FIRST TIME YOU MET, she says, leaning in close so that nobody can oversee them, not that it would matter, Kurt's the only other person that would understand what they are saying and he's in the bathroom.

REALLY? he asks, unsure why the thought makes him so giddy. He knew that Kurt liked him, Kurt had been the one to ask him out. Blaine just hadn't realized that Kurt had liked him for so long before finally asking him out.

HE DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WERE GAY, Tina explained.

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

YES. Her eyes light up like it's Christmas morning and he's pretty sure she's going to tell the entire world, but he doesn't care.

I WANTED TO DATE KURT FROM THE FIRST TIME WE MET, TOO.

In retrospect, Blaine's not really sure how they went over a month without one of them asking the other out, but it will be a cute story to tell their children in the future. Not that Blaine was ready to admit to Kurt that he'd thought about forever with him, they'd only just made it up to 'I love you' today.

Tina looks out of the corner of her eye and then gets a disgusted look on her face, turning back to the table to grab her cup and down the entire thing before moving to pour another one.

YOU OKAY? he asks, concerned.

MY OLD BOYFRIEND BROUGHT HIS NEW GIRLFRIEND, she signs, annoyed. Underneath it all, he can tell that she looks hurt.

SORRY, he winces in understanding and helps pour them both consolatory shots.

One thing leads to another — or more accurately, one shot leads to another — and soon enough Blaine and Tina are on the dance floor trying to upstage Mike and his new girlfriend, both of whom attend a fancy dance academy in Chicago. Blaine doesn't know Mike, but he dislikes him on principal after Tina explains that she'd been broken up with for not being Asian enough. Blaine has dealt with enough hatred in his life that he always feels instant camaraderie with anyone that's been discriminated against.

There's a crowd of people surrounding them in fascination and he spots a fair amount of phones out recording the entire thing, but he doesn't care. Kurt's over in the corner talking to Mercedes and a few other people Blaine recognizes from the photos in Kurt's room and every so often he'll look over at Blaine and sign to him from across the room, but for the most part, they are both perfectly content where they are. Close enough to be able to talk if they need something, but enjoying the party on their own terms.

Blaine has enough drinks in him to be over feeling uncomfortable and he's in his element — beat hitting hard enough that he doesn't just feel it through his feet, but in his soul as well. That's the thing hearing people will never understand about music. It can be so much more than just hearing the beautiful sounds. If you take the time to really let the music become you… to feel it, it has a way of touching your soul.

It's Blaine's favorite thing in the world.

Kurt finds Blaine out on the back porch by himself a few hours later, pulling out his hearing aids and rubbing his temples, willing the pounding in his head to stop. It's been awhile since he's worn them and part of the price of that is having to readjust his brain to hearing sounds — even indistinguishable ones. Kurt holds his palm out to take the hearing aids and Blaine eyes him curiously.

YOU'RE DRUNK, he signs, and tells Blaine that he'll keep them safe so they won't break. Blaine can only imagine his parents reaction if he managed to lose them or damage them in any way since they are pretty much the most expensive thing he owns outside of his car. Since he's not about to put them back in with how wonky his head's feeling, he hands them over.

Kurt carefully places them in his pocket before taking a seat next to him. Blaine wastes no time in laying his head down in Kurt's lap, sighing happily when Kurt's fingers find their way into his hair.

YOUR HAIR IS STARTING TO CURL. Kurt smiles down at him.

Blaine ignores him and rubs his cheek against the smooth velvet of Kurt's pants. The fabric feels so good and cool against his hot skin.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Kurt asks, shifting awkwardly and Blaine stops when he realizes that his face is practically in Kurt's crotch.

SOFT PANTS, he signs looking at Kurt like that should be obvious, but Kurt doesn't seem to understand.

OKAY, HOW MANY DRINKS DID YOU HAVE? Kurt asks and Blaine wonders if he isn't drunker than he initially thought.

I WAS NERVOUS, he signs back defensively, unsure how Kurt's going to feel about him getting drunk at a party while also underage.

I KNOW, Kurt signs, an understanding look on his face. MY FRIENDS ALL LOVE YOU.

THEY AREN'T SO BAD, he responds.

I TOLD YOU. Kurt looks smug.

S-A-N-T-A-N-A SCARY, he signs sloppily and starts laughing hysterically when he realizes that for once in their lives, Kurt's signing is actually better than his thanks to his drunken state.

WHAT? Kurt asks, looking at him fondly.

He shakes his head, but continues to laugh for no real reason, other than the fact that now that he's started, he can't stop.

I LOVE YOUR LAUGH, Kurt signs.

CAN I KEEP YOU FOREVER? Blaine asks.

SURE.

I'M HAPPY YOU'RE MOVING TO NEW YORK WITH ME, Blaine signs as he yawns, cuddling closer to Kurt.

ME, TOO. Kurt's fingers scratch gently at his scalp and it feels like heaven, he can't help but moan. The gentleman in him pretends not to notice what that does to Kurt and how every sound Blaine makes causes him to shift a little bit more in his seat. They are in public after all.

I DON'T WANT TO GO ALONE, he signs, getting back on topic after Kurt finally removes his fingers, realizing that they were both getting too close to starting something they wouldn't be able to stop.

YOU'RE ROOMING WITH SEBASTIAN, Kurt signs, giving him a weird, slightly hopeful look. IS SEBASTIAN NOT GOING?

HE IS, Blaine signs, ignoring the disappointed look on Kurt's face. He knows that Kurt's not a big fan of Sebastian after the incident at Dalton, but Sebastian is still one of his best friends so he tries not to bring it up. BUT IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU THERE, TOO.

I AGREE.

YOU HELP ME BE AROUND HEARING PEOPLE AGAIN, he signs, unsure why he's suddenly turned all sentimental, but he's sure the alcohol has something to do with it.

WE AREN'T ALL BAD, Kurt signs.

NOT YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, he says with a dopey smile that causes Kurt to lean over and give him a sweet kiss that's not nearly enough for Blaine, but he's too tired to sit up and force Kurt to kiss him properly.

SO YOU WANTED TO DATE ME FROM THE FIRST TIME WE MET? Kurt asks, a satisfied smirk on his face.

I KNEW TINA DOESN'T KEEP SECRETS.

TINA? Kurt asks, confused and Blaine remembers that he didn't tell Kurt about the awesome name sign that he made up using a "T" to sign "Diva" because Tina's pretty fierce.

T-I-N-A, I MADE HER A NAME SIGN, he signs.

YOU LOOK HAPPY, Kurt comments and he looks surprised by that, like he didn't expect it. It's fair, Blaine didn't really expect to feel happy at this party either.

I LIKE TINA, he says, because it's explanation enough.

CAREFUL, Kurt teases. BIGGEST GOSSIP IN THE WORLD.

SHE'S PRETTY COOL, he explains, thinking back to how he'd told her about the music video recreations he made when he was at Dalton and how she'd immediately Googled and watched the video of him dancing to 'Last Friday Night' on her phone. Afterwards she'd pulled him out onto the dance floor and demanded that he show everyone his moves.

WHAT? YOU LIKE ONE OF MY FRIENDS, Kurt asks, pretending to look surprised.

IT'S POSSIBLE, he signs, though he knows that's a lie. He's got Tina's number saved in his phone and she's coming over next weekend to show him how to sew his own bow ties.

So perhaps he was wrong and not all hearing people are bad, or maybe he was right and he's just been lucky enough to find the two hearing people in the world his age worth knowing, but either way — life is pretty good if he does say so himself.


End file.
